Survey of vaccination knowledge and acceptance among adults admitted to an urban emergency department

Adult vaccination rates in the United States have fallen below national target levels and may be exacerbated by lack of access to a primary care physician. We assessed patient knowledge of and attitudes towards vaccines in an urban emergency department population and analyzed the feasibility of using this setting as a vaccine delivery site from a patient perspective.

In-person interviewers administered surveys to 250 adult patients presenting to the Detroit Receiving Hospital emergency department in Detroit, Michigan. Respondents were asked about vaccination status, preferences, and willingness to accept vaccination reminders via text messaging. Odds ratios and 95% Wald confidence intervals assessing differences between vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals were generated with univariate logistic regression.

Vaccinated adults were more likely to have a primary care provider than non-vaccinated adults (OR 1.94, 95% CI: 1.09-3.45). Non-vaccinated adults were significantly more likely to have unvaccinated adult relatives (OR8.64, 95% CI: 4.10-18.22). Nearly all respondents used a cell phone, and 75.8% of unvaccinated adults were willing to receive text messages reminders about vaccines.

Although less likely to have a primary care access point than vaccinated participants, non-vaccinated respondents reported interest in receiving vaccinations. Emergency departments could serve as vaccination hubs for patients and unvaccinated accompanying family members. Text message reminders offer a potential source of additional vaccine prompts and education.